


The Sweetest Blood

by erwinsundercut (Applepie3399)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Blood and Violence, Kenuri side ship, M/M, Mikenana side ship, Worldbuilding, not classic vampires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2019-08-29 11:11:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16742866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Applepie3399/pseuds/erwinsundercut
Summary: Erwin had a really terrible evening that was a life changer. His eyes were opened to a whole new world and he had so much to learn.Modern Setting Vampire!AU





	1. The Bite

**Author's Note:**

> I just want to say that the vampires in this fic are quite different from "classic" vampires. I guess they have a thing or two in common with werewolves. The point is, if you're a fan of classic vampire stories and dislike major changes to vampirism, this fic would be a disappointment. 
> 
> This being said, I hope those of you who don't mind drastic changes to vampirism, will enjoy the fic!~

Erwin really should’ve stuck to the main street. Taking filthy dark alleys was generally a really unwise thing to do. But the alley was so short, surely nobody would’ve attacked him. And even if someone tried, Erwin was by no means a small man. He should’ve been able to fight off an attacker.

Wrong. So very wrong. On both accounts. 

And that was how he found himself on his back, lying on the filthy ground in a stinking dark alley, just a couple of blocks from his home. The moment he gained consciousness, his head began to throb. And yet his throat was throbbing even more so. It took him half a minute to even move a muscle, his while body protesting against this action. His wrist hurt from where the attacker had grabbed him with more strength than humanly possible. His shoulder hurt from where it had been slammed against the greenish-brown bricks of the alley. And his knee hurt from being slammed in the metal container which was spilling trash all round itself. 

Erwin managed a sitting position, needing a minute or two to gain more strength. A few meters down the alley, two rats were fighting for a piece of food, probably long gone bad. Erwin groaned in both disgust and pain. His throat was throbbing even more painfully. Erwin reached with his hand and found the skin of the neck slightly sticky and even wet on one particular spot. And then the memories of the assault returned all very fresh.

The attack hadn’t tried to rob him. He hadn’t asked for his money at all. He had instead… bitten him. On the neck. The stickiness was the blood which had already started to dry. And the wetness was the blood which was still tickling from the two wounds on his neck. Erwin cursed. Who knew what kind of diseases his attacker had. He needed to go to a hospital. Quickly. He reached into his pocket, taking out his phone, ready to call an ambulance. He was in no condition to go to a hospital on his own.

The phone was completely smashed, screen looking like a drunken spider’s web. Erwin cursed again. He was never in his life ever walking into a dark alley again. 

Change of plans then. He needed to find help. Anyone who would call an ambulance for him. He needed to stand up and walk. It took him great effort to get on his feet, scaring away the rats in the process. Once standing, walking proved to be easier. Not by a lot, but still – easier. He staggered down the alley, finally reaching its end. The air was already better, fresher. It didn’t stink or rot and piss. Luckily for Erwin, the windows of the house closest to him were lit.

With one final push, he climbed the couple of steps to the front door and rang the bell. He barely heard steps nearing from behind the dark reddish wooden door. The voice, however, Erwin had no difficulty hearing. It was irate and quite loud.

“What do you want? I swear if you’re some shitty drunk, I’m gonna kick your ass off my property!”

Erwin wondered how many drunkards have ringed this man’s bell before. But it was of no importance now. Erwin swayed and caught himself with one hand on the doorframe.

“I was attacked. Please,… call an ambulance. My phone got busted in the struggle.”

Erwin also wondered how he had managed to say all this in an intelligible way. He just hoped the man would actually do what he had asked him to. He had no energy to go to another door walking. Perhaps crawling…

The door opened so suddenly that it surprised Erwin and he lost his balance again, stumbling forward. A pair of hands caught him and dragged him inside. He couldn’t focus on anything, his eyes closing in exhaustion. He was positioned on a chair, his upper body pushed lightly back so he could rest against the chair’s back. He tried opening his eyes and his vision was flooded with light. A sharp whistling assaulted his ears. A kettle. Erwin turned his head to the sound. 

A short man was standing in front of the hobs, removing the kettle from the fire. His dark hair reflected the light. He wore dark grey sweatpants and a black long-sleeved shirt on the tight side. The man turned and Erwin’s vision blurred again. He heard the man coming closer and just then wondered whether he had rung the wrong door. He was at a complete stranger’s mercy. This was officially Erwin’s worst day. 

Erwin felt the man’s hand on the side of his face. It pushed his head further to the side, baring his neck for the stranger to examine. A loud and displeased “tsk” followed. The pressure on his face disappeared. Erwin gather enough energy to speak, hoping his words won’t blur like his vision.

“Ple-please. Call an ambu…lance. I need he-help. I can pay- ”

“I don’t want your money. And you don’t need an ambulance.”

Erwin couldn’t believe his ears. He definitely needed an ambulance. The only reason he wouldn’t need one was if he was… Erwin’s blood run cold, fear gripping his insides. The only reason he wouldn’t need an ambulance was if he was going to die. Will this stranger kill him? But what were the chances of stumbling weakly into a killer’s house? Surely… Erwin cursed. Surely it’s a minuscule chance. But he also thought that surely he wouldn’t get attacked in the dark alley. Surely, surely, surely! What a fool Erwin had been! 

He was snapped back into the present when the stranger opened his fridge. He took a thermos from it and spoke again.

“You don’t need an ambulance. There’s nothing ordinary doctors can do for you to help you. But this can.” The stranger said and popped the thermos’s cap open. Before Erwin had time to protest, the stranger pressed a thumb between Erwin’s teeth. Erwin’s jaw was already slacked with exhausting so this was an easy task. The stranger pressed the thermos’s opening to Erwin’s lips and tilted it. 

Erwin couldn’t turn his head away. The man’s grip on his jaw was strong. Inhumanly strong. Inhumanly strong, just like his attacker’s. Liquid poured in his mouth. Erwin’s eyes widened. It tasted like blood. He tried not to swallow, he really did. He chocked twice, his efforts useless. The blood went down his throat and he shuddered in disgust. What kind of weirdo’s doorbell had he rung? Why has this night decided to fuck him over this much? Maybe it was punishment for a previous life. 

The stranger finally released Erwin’s jaw and blood mixed with saliva trickled down Erwin’s chin. He spat, then he spat again, and again. 

“Quit that!” The man scolded him. “You’re wasting precious blood. Now sleep.”

And Erwin did.


	2. Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was a mess to write (some scenes were added later and I had to edit a lot of stuff so I'm not sure how well I did that but I'm tired of editing this chapter) but I sincerely hope it doesn't feel like a mess to read!

Erwin woke up with a start, almost toppling from the chair to the ground. He got to his feet unsteadily and grabbed the table in front of him. On the other side of it, the stranger was sitting and drinking from a tea cup in a way that Erwin had never seen before. He could see the man better now, even though half of his face was hidden behind the cup and his right hand holding it. The stranger had thin eyebrows set in a permanent semi- frown and hooded, yet piercing, eyes. He moved to put his cup on the table and Erwin realized he had stared instead of searching for the room’s exit. He found it in a matter of moments, his eyes fixing on the door when the stranger spoke.

“Oh, you woke up quickly. I always forget how insanely fast newbies recuperate.”

Erwin thoughts came to a sudden stop. He was already convinced that the stranger was some cult maniac or a serial killer. And he didn’t want to know what ‘newbies’ was referring to. But the stranger was correct about Erwin’s recuperation. Erwin’s injuries seemed to have healed indeed. Nothing hurt, at least. His hand flew to his neck and the wound there had already closed completely.

He wasn’t sure what to think. Actually, he didn’t want to think at all at the moment. He wanted this wretched night to be over. He wanted to go home, take a shower, go to bed, and pretend it was all a dream. And what and who was stopping him? Certainly not the strange little man. And certainly not the half-open door. Erwin wasn’t going to spend another second in that house if he could help it! He would consider his condition only when he was home.

With the decision still fresh, Erwin darted to the door, not sparing a glance to the surprised stranger. He was half-way down the corridor when he heard the man yell at him to stop. Something tugged Erwin behind his bellybutton, as if from within him, but he kept going. He wasn’t going to stop. He wasn’t going to stop until he was inside his own home, where strange men couldn’t force blood down his throat or bite him half to death.

Erwin was at the other end of the corridor when he heard the stranger’s footstep closing in. He had prayed that the front door had an automatic locking system. His plan depended on it. Once he had made it outside, he slammed the door closed, relying on the stranger to waste time to get his key before chasing him.

His plan had worked out, it seemed. Erwin had made it into a side street in a surprisingly short amount of time and there was no sign of the stranger following him. He didn’t stop though. He ran and ran until he was home. His hand trembled when he reached into his pocket to get his key out. It trembled even more violently when he tried to put the key in the keyhole. He dropped the key. He picked it up and tried again. On his third try, he unlocked the door and stumbled inside.

He slammed his door hard, not caring one bit about his neighbors. Just this once he didn’t. His back hit the closed door and he breathed heavily. His knees gave out and he slid to the floor, hands in his disheveled hair. He had run home faster than he should have been able to. Even when he had been running, he could clearly tell something had been off. And his injuries had healed too quickly. It could be adrenalin making him oblivious to the pain that he should feel from them. But that couldn’t explain the closed wound on his neck.

He stood up and run upstairs, almost ripping his clothes off. When he reached the full length mirror he watched in horror the bruises on his body. Bruises that should barely be forming. And that should definitely not look like they were a couple of days old. Something was so very wrong with him.

Erwin could see his pale face and eyes wide with fear in his reflection. He noticed he had started shivering, both from shock and coldness. He made his way into the shower and cleaned himself in the most efficient way he had ever done in his life. Short as his shower had been, it had given him time to think more about what had just happened to him.  

The stranger had commanded him to sleep and Erwin had obeyed. The stranger had told him to stop and Erwin had resisted the command but he had definitely felt it. He had been able to resist whatever unnatural power the man had but only once he felt better. The question was – did the blood help him heal and recuperate? And if so – why did the stranger help him get better if that would grand Erwin the ability to resist him?

But all those questions would have to wait. He still didn’t believe the stranger when he had told him that no doctor could help him. Erwin still needed to see one. Who knew what kind of diseases he might had gotten from his attacker and from that blood the stranger had given him. The problem was – he couldn’t seek help at a hospital anymore. He had no wounds to show and prove that he needed the medical attention. And he lacked the knowledge to self-inflict injuries that could be believable. It would only add to his troubles to have medical personnel thinking he was hurting himself. He had only one option left – his best friend’s wife was a nurse. He was going to call her.

He opened a few boxes hastily, searching for his old phone. Once he found it, he inserted the sim card into it and plugged the phone charger in. Scrolling through the contacts, he quickly found Nanaba’s number and dialed.

“Hi, Erwin.”

Erwin took a deep breath before speaking.

“Hey, Nanaba. I know… this will sound strange but, please, hear me out first.” Erwin began and when Nanaba agreed, albeit a bit confusedly, he continued. “I was… attacked. Someone jumped on me in an alley and bit my neck.”

Nanaba gasped. “Wait, let me put you on speaker.  Mike’s home with me.”

Good. It was good that Mike would hear him as well. He was Erwin’s oldest friend. If anyone was to believe his strange tale, it ought to be Mike. And if Mike believed him, Nanaba would help him. So he told them what had happened to him with a few great alterations which kept the stranger with the thermos full of blood out of the story. Instead, he told them that he had woken up in the alley with his injuries already healed, and hoped they wouldn’t think him insane. After he was done, there was a long silence and Erwin almost lost hope before Mike spoke.  

“Erwin, if I didn’t know you, I’d think you’re pulling my leg. But I’m certain you’re serious so…  give us some time. Nanaba will get what she needs from the hospital and we’ll meet you in your house. You’re at home, right?”

Erwin replied that he was and the conversation was over.

When Mike and Nanaba arrived at his house later, they both looked concerned. Nanaba began examining him immediately, noting how the neck wound and bruises looked days old. Mike seemed to be lost in thought but once Nanaba started giving Erwin every shot and medicine she thought he should receive after an attack, he finally spoke.

“Erwin, did you take a good look at your attacker?”

Erwin shook his head. “No. It all happened so fast. I think it was a man. A very strong one, in any case.”

“You know, we’ve been getting similar reports at the Precinct. Sudden attacks by an unnaturally strong man, always alone. Neck wounds. Except theirs didn’t heal on their own. Or so fast. We’re not having any luck finding this guy though. In any other case, I’d advise you to file a report, but considering the condition of you injuries…” Mike trailed and Erwin finished the sentence in his place.

“- it’s better not to, I agree.”

Mike nodded. Once Nanaba was finished, Erwin apologized to them for bothering them so late. Both Mike and Nanaba reassured him that it was not necessary and that they would check on him the following days.

Seeing his friends had made Erwin feel a bit better already. He wondered why he had decided to leave the stranger out of his story. He was still confused about him and whether he had helped him or not. But in case that he had… Erwin couldn’t have told Mike about him. He needed more information but at the same time he didn’t want to see the stranger yet.

 

* * *

 

The next morning Erwin stood in front of the mirror, his bruises and wounds completely gone. He might’ve hoped that last night had been nothing more than an elaborate and creative nightmare but the scattered clothes were proof enough against it.

He thought to take the day off but teaching might actually help him take his mind off of last night. He had to make his lessons pretty interactive in order to keep the young students’ minds on the topic. And he was one of the few teaches who was successful at it. Most of the students loved his class the most. Erwin prided himself in being able to interest them in his lessons. The thought brought a small smile to his lips. Yes, work would distract him, even just a little bit.

 

* * *

 

The evening was another story altogether. Erwin buried himself in work, marking the tests of class 10D. But it was all in vain. He was all alone at home and the work itself was not enough to distract his mind from the previous night. Even the laughably wrong answers some of the kids had marked were not enough of a distraction. And he had already talked to Mike and Nanaba earlier during the day. He didn’t want to concern them even more.

Erwin put down the last test and covered his face with his hands. The stranger’s face immediately emerged, the taste of blood as fresh in his mouth as if he had just drunk it. Erwin stumbled to his feet. The hunger he suddenly felt was unexplainable. He had eaten the biggest lunch and dinner he had had in months and yet he still felt hunger. Or was it thirst? Another thing he found extremely disconcerting was his inability to discern between the two. If he was eating – it was thirst. If he was drinking – it was hunger. No matter what he did, the feeling of need wouldn’t leave him.

 

* * *

 

That feeling had been tolerably mild the first day. But with each day, it grew and grew inside him. The stranger and his blood-filled thermos visited his dreams every night. And every morning Erwin woke up wishing he didn’t want to drink the blood that the man had offered him.

On the twelfth day, Erwin detected a new smell on his way to the underground. In the train, when a young woman, sat next to him, the smell almost suffocated him. And just like that he knew it to be blood. Hi simply knew it. He had no idea how he had reached the conclusion or how he had obtained that knowledge, but there was not a single doubt in his mind that it was, indeed, blood. The sweet smell of it was calling to him. And Erwin was thirstier and hungrier that he had ever been in his entire life.

He had survived the train ride without assaulting anyone, thankfully. It was fairly short and Erwin could concentrate on not doing anything he would regret later. The classroom, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. It was only the second period when he sniffed it again. Blood. Central row, second desk. Window row, last desk. Erwin swayed on his feet and hastily excused himself. Sickened to his stomach, he headed home and on the ride there he made a decision that he had been postponing long enough. Whether it was a good or extremely poor decision was yet to be seen. But he couldn’t go on like that. He was bound to attack someone eventually. The chances that it’d be a student were even greater. Erwin couldn’t allow that to happen!

He must see the stranger again and demand an explanation for his unnatural condition!

 

* * *

 

On the train, Erwin had to cover his nose with his jacket and change carriages twice. But even so, he was suffocating in the sweet smell of blood. By the time he had reached the stranger’s house, the whole front upper row of teeth and gum were hurting. There was pressure there that was demanding a relief but Erwin had no idea how to obtain it. He only hoped that the stranger would be at home in the middle of the day.

He pressed the doorbell longer than he would otherwise do and when he heard footsteps, he braced himself for another meeting with the man. Erwin’s plan, simple as it was, was to be as commanding as possible and get as many answers as he could. But in his present state, he doubted that he would be able to look anything but pathetic and exhausted. He took a deep breath and when the door opened, he didn’t give the stranger time to utter even a single word. He pounced at him, one hand gripping his shoulder, the other tilting the head to one side. The pressure in his teeth and gum was no more. Before realizing what he was doing, Erwin sunk his new set of long and sharp teeth into the stranger’s neck.

And then he drank. Oh, sweet relief! He heard the man gasp but he was too far gone to care much about it. He had never in his life tasted anything sweeter than this man’s blood and had never wanted anything more than to drink to his heart’s content. He shoved the stranger against the wall and drank deeper. Sweet, sweet blood. But there was little relief for his thirst and hunger in it, despite its delicious taste.

The stranger made another noise and this time Erwin had to acknowledge him as it was accompanied by a swift and painful kick between his legs. Erwin gasped in agony and toppled to the floor, the blood he had yet not drank, trickling down his chin.


	3. You're a Vampire, Erwin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for some vampire exposition by Levi.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the longest chapters I've ever written!

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!?” the stranger hissed in indignation. 

The pain in Erwin’s privates lessens a bit, enough for him to lift his head slightly and look at the man standing over him, glaring. Erwin still felt bloodthirsty and confused. But now he also felt remorseful for attacking the stranger when he had come just to talk. Maybe he should apologize? No! He still wasn’t certain the stranger was on his side. First he’d get some answers, and then he’d decide whether to apologize. 

The stranger’s lip curled in distaste as he stared down at Erwin. He seemed a bit more at ease than several moments ago but still guarded. The rush of Erwin’s attack had passed but he didn’t want a repeat of it. 

“You look pitiful. Have you even fed since last time you were here?” the stranger asked, then allowed himself a second to ponder and answered his own question. “No, I bet you haven’t. Or you wouldn’t have bit me like some savage dog.”

Erwin tried to reply to the insult but his new and sharp fangs got in the way, resulting in a lisp that the stranger found funny enough to warrant an amused snort. Erwin’s face burned. He’d had it with not knowing what was going on, being attacked, and finally – being laughed at. And he couldn’t even demand answers with the fangs in the way. He stood up and tried to will them away but it wasn’t working. 

“They’re not going away. Your fangs, that is. You’re too starved.” The stranger supplied helpfully.

Erwin’s attention snapped to him again. Finally he was getting some information. At this point anything was better than complete ignorance. The man sighed and turned away, walking down the corridor and motioning for Erwin to follow him.

“You don’t deserve a free meal since you attacked me but you’re in too bad of a shape to be roaming about. Who knows who you’ll attack next… You may even kill someone since you have no training and don’t know how to control your bloodthirst.”

They entered the kitchen and the stranger told Erwin to sit down. Erwin did so, avoiding the chair he had sat into last time. The fridge was opened and Erwin could see the metallic thermos he had dreamt about. The stranger put it on the table in front of Erwin. 

“Bon Appetite.” He said with a sarcastic note to his tone. Then, he sat on the chair opposite Erwin and crossed his legs. “I’m Levi, by the way. Drink up, before you decide it’s a good idea to attack me again. Because it’ll end ugly for you.”

Erwin looked at the stranger… at Levi, then at the thermos in front of him. He knew that the blood inside it would satisfy his bloodthirst. It’s what Levi had called it. And yet… it felt wrong to drink it. Unnatural. His hand was shaking when he reached for the thermos. It clenched and unclenched as a vicious battle was unfolding inside his mind. He was so bloodthirty. And a feast was placed right in front of him. If only he could make himself drink it without choking on it. 

“Drink up already. You may be a baby vamp but I’m not bottle-feeding you again.”

Erwin expected the confirmation of him being vampire, because surely that’s what “vamp” was short for, to be more shocking. But it seemed that he had deduced that himself to a point where it wasn’t as big of a surprise as he had expected. He had still hoped that his condition had been something else. From what little he had read about vampires, he thought they were just a myth. And even if they weren’t – some things just didn’t add up. But he was too bloodthirsty to think about them. Once he had fed. Then he’d ask for information.

His grip around the thermos tightened and he lifted it to his lips. Then drank. He hated how much he loved the taste of blood. But he felt such relieve. Like a man having his first sip of water after days spent roaming the desert. He drank and drank until the thermos was empty. A bunch of napkins were dropped on the table in front of him. He looked up at Levi, who made a disapproving sound.

“You’re a messy eater. But I guess it’s normal after being starved for so long. Feeling better, now?” 

Erwin felt his fang retract. He could speak normally again. “Ah, yes, thank you.” He said, without even realizing when he had decided that Levi wasn’t an enemy. He wiped his chin with a napkin.

“So…” Erwin began awkwardly. “I’m a vampire.” 

“Yes.” Levi answered flatly.

“And I guess you’re a vampire as well.”

“No, I just store human blood in my fridge to use at my cultist ritual gatherings.” The joke was said in such a flat manner that for a spilt second Erwin believed it. But deep down he knew Levi to be a vampire as well. He felt like one. And humans felt like humans. And some people felt like something else Erwin didn’t yet know.

He now felt bad about attacking someone who had helped him, albeit in a disturbing kind of way. He had managed not to attack anyone on the train or any of his students but his control had finally slipped with Levi. 

“Look, Levi, I’d like to apologize for attacking you. I came only to get answers, I didn’t-”

“It’s fine.” Levi interrupted him. “Bloodthirst is something that all new vamps need to learn to control. You shouldn’t have run away the first night though.”

Erwin frowned. “I was just attacked by some weirdo in an alley and then you force fed me blood with no explanation. Did you honestly expect me not to run away at the first opportunity?” 

Levi seemed to think it over, grey eyes leaving Erwin’s for a moment in concentration. “Well, when you put it like this, I guess it was expected. Sometimes I forget how foreign things may seem to humans since I grew up with vampirism.” 

Erwin was appalled. Levi had grown up with vampirism? Did that mean someone had turned a little kid into a vampire?

“You… became a vampire when you were a kid?” 

Levi looked surprised. After a moment he replied. “No. I wasn’t turned. I was born a vampire.” 

Oh. Well, that was one of Erwin’s questions answered then. Vampires could reproduce, apparently. Erwin felt relieved that Levi hadn’t suffered a turning. If it was anything like Erwin’s… a little kid didn’t deserve that. Though, now that he thought about it, he knew he was turned that night, but when and how exactly was still a mystery.

“Levi…, how was I turned exactly? I mean, how is anyone turned into a vampire? And what does it even mean to be a vampire? Because there seem to be a lot inconsistencies in myths and legends and from what I have observed happening with me. And what about the-” Erwin’s verbal bombardment was stopped by Levi’s raised hand. He then pinched his nose and exhaled.

“This is why I’m not a volunteer in Stage 1.” He muttered to himself before raising his head and addressing Erwin. “Ok, listen up and don’t interrupt. You can ask questions after I’m done explaining. Forget what myths and legends say about vamps. There are some semi-truths in them but they’ve been bent by traditions and fear. 

First - A human is turned into a vamp when a vamp injects them with their venom through their fangs. Most of the time it’s some asshole doing it on purpose. Because changing someone’s life is just shits and giggles for some trash vamps. It's rarely because a human wants to be turned. And sometimes it’s accidental.” Levi seemed to want to add something more to it. Erwin suspected it was his opinion on his turning and whether it had been accidental or not. But Levi had reconsidered and said nothing about it. Instead, he continued with his impromptu lecture.

“Second - we’re not undead, whatever that means. Nobody dies to be turned into a vamp. If you die, you die. We, vamps, are very much alive. If you get killed as a vamp, you become a dead vamp.

Third – we’re not “immortal”. We get killed much harder than ordinary humans, true. Yes, stake through the heart and decapitation kill us. But so do a shitton of other stuff. So don’t go around thinking you’re invincible because you’re not. We also age slower and live longer than humans do. Nowhere near thousands of years though. A couple hundreds at best. All those myhts about vamps being old as balls – it’s vamps fucking with humans. You won’t believe how often that used to happen. We also heal a lot faster, especially when we have just fed. But even if we haven’t – our wounds close much faster than humans’.”

Levi turned his head to the side to show the place where Erwin had bitten him. The wounds were gone completely. Erwin felt slightly better about the attack. But there was still something off about Levi’s behavior about it. He didn’t seem bothered by the wounds themselves but about something else. Erwin wanted to know what, but he decided that keeping his mouth shut about it was the best course of action for now. Instead, he listened when Levi continued.

“You still need food and water but now you also need human blood. It’s a hassle, I guess, if you’re not used to it. You’ll need to feed once or twice per week, small doses. You don’t want to go too long without feeding because then you start attacking people.”

Erwin lowered his eyes, ashamed. But Levi paid him no mind. He was simply stating facts, rather than being accusing. Erwin appreciated that.

“You’re now faster and stronger than humans. And when you’ve just fed – even faster and stronger than the usual. The speed and strength varies from vamp to vamp. Some have special gifts as well. The most common is what I used on you to make you sleep. It’s called The Influence. Even though it’s a common gift, few can actually perform it well.”

Erwin felt his blood turn cold at that particular piece of information. Being able to manipulate others was a formidable ability. The only thing that soothed him was the fact that Levi had said that few vampires actually knew how to utilize that ability well. But still… it felt wrong on so many levels. He didn’t notice the change in Levi, but his voice had become somewhat softer when he spoke again.

“It’s a disgusting power if you ask me. Do you hate me for using it on you?” 

Erwin was surprised. Levi seemed earnest in his question. He hadn’t expected him to even find anything wrong with this ability, it being pretty common with vampires and Levi being born a vampire. But he not only found it disgusting, but was also enquiring about Erwin’s feelings. 

And now that Erwin was thinking about it, he realized that he didn’t blame the other for using it on him. Nor did he hate him for it. He had needed the rest, painfully so. He must have been pretty close to death for Levi to use it on him. If Levi had explained things beforehand, Erwin might’ve listened and this whole debacle might’ve been avoided. Or he might have not listened. But as things had been, Erwin had been beyond reasoning post-feeding and if he hadn’t been ordered to rest, he would’ve run. And he probably would have ended up dead in the next street. The blood itself probably wouldn’t have been enough to heal him up, or not healed him up fast enough. Erwin didn’t know about it for sure but Levi had been a vampire for his entire life, so if he had decided it was necessary... And he had only ordered him to sleep after all. He could’ve done all sorts of unspeakable things to Erwin if he had wanted to.

“I don’t. I… it was necessary, right?”

“Yes. You might have died otherwise. I didn’t want to risk it.” Levi answered truthfully. “Are you still hungry? You’ve been starved so you probably need more than the usual.”

Erwin’s cheeks heated. He could definitely drink more. He didn’t crave it so much now, but he still felt he needed a bit more. He nodded and another thermos was placed in front of him. This one - smaller in size and black.

“What’s with the thermoses?” the words were out of Erwin’s mouth before he could even realize it.

“Hm? How would you store the blood? It needs to be in the fridge and I’m not keeping it in the bags or anything else transparent. Disgusting.” Levi curled his upper lip in distaste. “Besides, it’s convenient when you need it on the go since it keeps the blood cool. And people generally don’t ask to drink from someone else’s thermos, especially when you lie about the content being something utterly disgusting but healthy.” 

Erwin supposed Levi was right about keeping the blood away from prying humans. He wondered why anyone would take blood with them when going out if a vampire only needed to feed once or twice a week but Levi didn’t look approachable on this particular topic so Erwin didn’t press his luck and drank instead.

Levi waited for him to finish his second meal before speaking again.

“Do you have any questions?”

Erwin had a ton of them. He wasn’t sure where to even begin. Levi had cleared up some crucial things but it had barely scratched the surface. And Erwin wasn’t sure how many questions Levi would be willing to answer before his patience run out, so he had to prioritize. 

“What about sunlight? Aren’t vampires… aren’t we supposed to turn into dust in excruciating agony?”

Levi looked amused. “Nah. You should buy a 50+ sunscreen lotion though. We get nasty sunburns so say bye-bye to sunbathing.”

“What about garlic?”

Levi scrunched up his face and Erwin felt a pang of triumph at finally asking a question which answer may coincide with the myths and legends. But once again, Levi disproved it.

“It has no negative effect on us but it smells awful so I don’t know why anyone likes it.”

Erwin wasn’t about to tell Levi he loved garlic. It would be like walking behind a moving swing. Levi’s disgruntled face when thinking about garlic was amusing but Erwin didn’t want to see it irritated for a second time that evening. Instead, he kept the questions coming. 

“Crossing running water?”

Levi’s hand, which had been supporting his head, dropped to the table and he sighed before snorting in amusement. “Are you taking your “facts” from “Dracula” by Bram Stoker by any chance?”

Erwin’s eyes shifted away from Levi’s piercing gaze. Had he been so obvious? Apparently so. 

“Well, I guess that’s better than asking whether we sparkle in sunlight. Teen vamps used to buy so much body glitter when Twilight was still a huge hit. Fucking absurd.”

Erwin couldn’t help smiling. It sounded so absurd, indeed. Vampires following vampire trends set by humans. And this was when Erwin realized that all his questions had been about vampire anatomy and physiology, so to speak. But what about vampire society? They clearly had one if they had trends. Their culture? What about other non-humans? Were there any? How did they all hide from humans? So many new questions assaulted his mind. Levi’s voice rooted him in reality again.

“To answer your question – we can cross running water, no problem. We don’t sleep in coffins. Only the edgy weirdos do that shit. We can’t control wolves or turn into bats. But having bats as pets is also very popular among us. We definitely can’t crawl on walls. Some have the gift to manipulate weather a bit so they can make mists. And some can manipulate light. Hm, what else…?”

“Holy water!” Erwin yelled with more enthusiasm that was warranted but he was so excited to think of something that Levi, a born vampire, had missed. Levi gave him a pointed look and Erwin smiled in embarrassment. “Sorry.”

“Holy water doesn’t burn us, no. And neither do crosses. Actually, they were also a huge trend until a decade or so ago.”

This once again confirmed to Erwin that vampires had society. He was working on his very first question in that direction but it seemed that Levi had decided he had shared enough information.

“I’ll take you to the Center tomorrow. I covered the basics but you’ll need to be enrolled into training anyway so you’ll get all your questions answered there.”

Erwin made a panicked unintelligible sound of protest but Levi was firm in his decision. 

“Go home and rest. Come here tomorrow around 7 p.m.” Levi handed him a piece of paper and Erwin noticed he had written his phone number on it. “See you, **_babyvamp._** ”


	4. The Center Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First glance at The Center.

Levi had told Erwin to go home and rest. But did he not realize how impossible that was? Erwin’s curiosity had only been invigorated by all the new information that Levi had provided. He couldn’t distract himself with anything for more than a few minutes at a time. His thoughts kept returning to the topic of vampires. And how much, it turned out, he didn’t know about them. About what he had become. Myths and legends had turned out to be mostly fiction.

Mid-evening Erwin had completely given up on trying to distract himself. And instead, decided to test what he could of Levi’s information. He had already walked in sunlight so that had been already tested, several times at that. He enjoyed a garlic bread for dinner. Levi’s face popped up in his mind, the other’s little nose scrunching up in disgust. Erwin’s lips turned up at the corners at the mental image. Next, he tested his strength and speed. Since he had fed just earlier during the day, he noticed that he was stronger and faster than he had ever been before, even when he had trained regularly.

Falling asleep proved to be a bit of a challenge but when he finally managed it – he dreamt that he was back in Levi’s kitchen, sitting on the very seat he had been sitting during the day. The metallic thermos was placed in front of him. In the seat opposite of him sat Levi, the black thermos in his hand. Levi opened his mouth and began speaking. About what, Erwin had no idea, but it made sense at the time. Then he lifted the thermos and drank, neatly. Not a drop of blood escaping his lips. His throat moved as he swallowed. And again. And again. Adam’s apple bobbing with each swallow. Erwin’s eyes zeroed in on Levi’s throat and he could see the veins under the fair skin. He could feel the sweet taste of his blood in his mouth. Then Levi was done feeding and placed the black thermos back on the table.

Erwin’s woke up with a start. The clock on his nightstand showed 3:34. Erwin was fast asleep again in a manner of seconds. He didn’t dream anymore that night.

 

* * *

 

The next day, classes distracted him sufficiently and before he realized it, it was time to visit Levi again. On his way to Levi’s house, he had to restrain himself from breaking into a run out of impatience. He also had to restrain himself from ringing Levi’s doorbell again when the other hadn’t opened the door after a few seconds only.

Levi was already ready to leave so Erwin didn’t get to go inside his house again. He didn’t know what to expect when it came to The Center. But he certainly didn’t expect them to head to a park. It almost looked like Levi was pulling his leg and was just out for an evening stroll.

The park itself was enormous. While it had several areas of open space with wide alleys, flower beds, and well-cut grass, it also had a sizable area of dense forest, a small river, and several ponds. Levi led them away from the main alley and onto another, much smaller one, leading towards the forest. It ended with a green gate with a small rusty lock, behind which was the park keeper’s house. On the right of the house, there was an open area of grass and flowers, ending with a small pond. On the left and behind the house, were tall thick trees, the beginning of the forest.

The house itself was relatively small in size – just two floors, no more than a few small rooms per floor. Levi didn’t seem like the practical joke type of person but Erwin found it extremely hard to believe he wasn’t being pranked.

“We’re here.” Levi announced.

Erwin stared at him, unsure how to react or what to say. He had expected more of The Center. He didn’t know exactly what, but it should’ve been more! Levi was oblivious to Erwin’s thoughts and disappointment. He had positioned himself in front of the gate and clasped each hand around the other arm’s forearm in such a way that his inner wrists were touching one another. He muttered a word Erwin didn’t recognize and separated his arms, the left one raising up while the right one moved down. A red light appeared in the space between his wrists and began forming shapes which, to Erwin, looked like modified runes. But he didn’t have enough time to examine them well. The rusty lock lit up as well and the gate dissolved into smoke the next moment. Erwin’s jaw dropped.

Levi stepped forward and when Erwin didn’t follow, he turned towards him and frowned.

“I guess I should’ve told you magic exists as well.” He said. “Well, now you know. Come on.”

Erwin’s legs miraculously worked and he followed Levi. The moment he stepped through the place where the gate had been, the scenery changed considerably. The house was still there. The little pond was still there as well. But what was once an open field of grass and flowers, was now occupied by a contemporary building with a glass façade. The entrance had a revolving door and Levi led them to it. Erwin followed like a lost puppy, craning his neck to observe the building better. Before entering, he turned back to look at the park. People were walking around, completely oblivious to what had just happened and to the building right in front of them. Incredible!

The entrance door led them into what Erwin could only describe as a reception. A very stylish and clean reception, also contemporary in style. Several modular sofa pieces in red and white were situated near the left wall. Small rectangular tables were scattered around them. On the right, there was a double winged glass door, the wall on either side of which was covered in posters.

“How To Take Care Of Your Fangs”, the title of one said, accompanied by a photo of a man, whose mouth was slightly open, showing a shiny pair of sharp teeth.

“09:00-18:00 DAYCARE CENTER” said another one, depicting a group of children playing. Kneeling among them was a woman with long dark hair and fair features. Her expression was kind and she was smiling at a drawing that one of the kids was showing to her.

The double door burst open and Erwin’s attention snapped to the tall man who walked in. By the looks of it, he was probably in his early 50s, with dark mid-length hair and a black cowboy hat. He wore a mid-calf overcoat and boots, both black in colour as well. The man looked past Erwin and his eyes fixed on Levi. His mouth split into a huge grin.

“Yo, Levi!” the man approached and attempted to pet Levi on the head but the shorter man evaded him and slapped the hand away. The stranger laughed. Then he fixed his eyes on Erwin and Erwin felt a chill run down his spine. The room had been warm when they had entered but now Erwin felt like he was submerged into ice cold water. The stranger spoke again, and although he wasn’t addressing Erwin, his eyes didn’t leave him for a second.

“Who’s your boyfriend, Levi?”

Erwin wanted to move behind Levi. He wanted desperately to hide because all of his instincts were screaming at him that he was facing an extremely dangerous man and should therefore protect himself. And in this strange new world, who could protect him better than Levi? He was just about to move when Levi slapped the stranger on the arm with the back of his hand.

“Cut it out, Kenny! And he’s not my boyfriend.”

Kenny tilted his head comically to one side and grinned. “Hmm, yes, he seems way out of your league.”

“I guess you know all about dating out of your league.” Levi snapped back, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

Erwin hadn’t recovered enough to feel embarrassed about the whole conversation. He could still feel the traces of overwhelming fear but with each moment that passed, whatever horror had gripped him, was fading away bit by bit.

The two men’s banter continued for a few more exchanges. Erwin concluded that they knew each other well enough, but he still couldn’t determine their relationship. It wasn’t hostile though, no matter how it might look at first sight. Perhaps they were related? They did share a few similar features. Perhaps he could ask Levi about it later.

“What are you doing here anyway?” Levi’s expression this time was very serious. Kenny’s grin faded.

“I’m here because of what you said to me the other day over the phone. It seems your concern may not be unfounded. I just came by to say hi to your mom and would’ve been on my way to your place. We need to talk.”

“Fine. I’ll just drop…um,” Levi looked at Erwin in question and Erwin realized that he had never given the other man his name. He blurted it out and Levi turned to Kenny again. “I’ll drop Erwin off at Petra’s desk. Let’s talk in the Conference Room.”

“Sure, shorty. I’ll buy some smokes and be right back then.” Kenny said and evaded a kick from Levi.

Erwin didn’t want to be dropped off. Levi was the only person he knew from this strange new world and he had expected that Levi would personally show him around. And now that he realized that wouldn’t be the case, he felt, once again, very lost. It probably had been Levi’s plan to rid himself of Erwin from the start. And that thought hurt more than Erwin expected. But even if that hadn’t been Levi’s plan, whatever this Kenny man had to discuss with Levi seemed to be more important that Erwin was.

“Sorry about my uncle.” Levi said sincerely. “His most developed gift is what we call Intimidation. Very unpleasant, not that you need me to tell you that.”

Well, apparently the two had been related after all. And Erwin didn’t even have to ask. But more importantly, he had experienced yet another vampire gift. He wondered whether he’d ever be on the receiving end of a pleasant gift for a change.

“So,” Erwin began hesitantly. “…it was just his gift? Is your uncle dangerous at all?”

Levi looked at him and snorted. “Oh, he’s very dangerous. He just likes to advertise it, I guess. The sadistic asshole.” He rolled his eyes and led Erwin to the back of the room where a matted glass reception was placed.

A young woman with red mid-length hair and bright eyes smiled at them and opened her mouth to greet them when a lanky teenage boy with the greenest eyes Erwin had ever seen stood up enthusiastically from a chair, that had been placed close to that of the young woman, but clearly wasn’t meant to be there for the long run.

“Captain!” the boy’s tone was slightly louder than what an inside voice should have been. “I’ve been practicing my moves. Will you spar with me?”

His cheeks were slightly colored, eyes shining brightly with hope and anticipation. The young woman sighed deeply and shook her head slowly.  
“Have you passed Stage 3, Eren?” Levi’s question burst the boy’s hope bubble in an instant.

“No.” Eren answered, head lowering slightly, shoulders dropping.

Erwin half-expected him to try and convince Levi to spar with him. To be more insistent. But the boy just sat down on his chair, disappointed but resigned.

“You have great potential, Eren. But you need level-by-level training. Skipping steps won’t do you any good. Understood?”

Erwin wondered whether Levi had said that exact same thing before to Eren because the boy, while answering with an obedient “Yes, Captain.”, was growing frustrated. The young woman looked at him with sympathy before turning back to Levi.

“What can I do for you, Captain?”

“Erwin here needs to be enrolled into Stage 1. He was turned two weeks ago. I trust you’ll show him around as well.”

Both the young woman and the boy were clearly shocked.

“You don’t want to show him around yourself, Captain?” the young woman asked baffled.

“I have other business to attend to. Besides, you and Moblit are more qualified than I am.” Levi said and disappeared through the double door on the right, with not as much as a good-bye to Erwin.

Erwin, becoming the center of attention of the two new people, immediately felt uncomfortable and awkward, on top of feeling betrayed and abandoned by Levi. Their gazes bored into him with intensity, like they were searching for the answers to their unvoiced questions. The young woman finally realized that what they were doing was rude and she stood up, apologized, and introduced herself as Petra. She smiled at him but it still looked forced. It was obvious to Erwin that she was still curious and surprised but was trying to hide it. The boy was less skilled at that and kept inspecting Erwin. A pointed look from Petra made him introduce himself as well. Eren was his name.

“Well, Erwin,” Petra began. “I’ll create your profile now. I’ll have to ask you some questions.”

The first few questions were fairly standard ones. Erwin had to give her his ID card at some point. His e-mail address and phone number followed. And then the curious questions began.

“What sort of creature are you? I supposed a vampire but I have to ask, you see.”

“A vampire, yes.” Erwin’s voice came out a little hoarse. It still felt weird admitting it out loud. And talking about it so casually.

“When exactly were you turned? Approximate hour would be best but “afternoon” or “evening” or such would also be quite acceptable.” Petra’s face began colouring and Erwin had no explanation as to why that was happening. But both she and Eren were eagerly awaiting his answer, although their eyes were vehemently avoiding his. They were completely unsurprised when Erwin replied with “in the evening”.

“And… um, where were you when you were turned? The address!” Petra’s voice came a little shrieky at the end. She was still avoiding his eyes and so was Eren.

“I’m not sure. What’s Levi’s address?” Erwin was sure that the small alley didn’t have any addresses on it. And the closest house was Levi’s.

“How can you not know his address?!?” Eren exclaimed, the surprise making him look up at Erwin. Petra’s face had gradually reddened more and threatened to match her red hair soon.

“Next question!” she cried. “How many times have you fed?”

“Two.” Erwin answered easily, still confused about the reactions he was getting out of the duo.

“Only two?” Petra asked baffled. Then her face flushed even more and Erwin began to get concerned for her. “You need to count feeding off of other vampires as well.”

Erwin was puzzled why feeding off of other vampires would even be counted, as drinking Levi’s blood, the little he had managed to get, had done absolutely nothing to quench his bloodthirst. Sure, his blood had been delicious, but ultimately useless for feeding. Was there perhaps another reason for vampires to bite each other then? Petra seemed almost certain that Erwin had bitten Levi. But why?

“I… I wouldn’t call what happened between Levi and me “feeding” exactly. It was more like-” Erwin would’ve elaborated on exactly what had happened but Eren had stood up swiftly and put his hands on the desk in front of him.

“Just tell us the number, dude! No need to share details!”

Petra cleaned her throat in an attempt to both draw attention to herself and to compose herself.

“No matter what the situation is and what… other activities take place,” she gave Erwin a pointed look. “as long as you bite someone and taste their blood, even very briefly, it’s considered “feeding” and therefore should be counted as one. So, what number should I write down?”

“Three.” Erwin replied and it seemed that he had managed to shock Petra and Eren once again.

“Oh,” Eren seemed to recover more quickly than Petra, curiosity winning over embarrassment. “Does the Captain prefer to bite you instead?”

“Eren!” Petra cried, looking at him with wide eyes. “That’s inappropriate!”

The cogs in Erwin’s head were turning. A realization followed. No, a theory only. It needed confirmation first.


	5. The Center Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin's exploration of this new strange world continues whether he likes it or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks once again to Vairre and yeseruri - the two people who have commented on every single chapter so far! Feedback, especially on this fic, means so much to me and it helps me stay motivated to upload, so I'm really grateful for it. I hope the story keeps being interesting to you both! ♡♡♡ Tho I definitely wouldn't mind hearing from other readers as well!~
> 
> This chapter took some time but I had a few important things to establish. I hope it's not confusing at times.  
> Enjoy! ♡
> 
> P.S I've also named all the chapters so far.

“I know vampires don’t feed off one another to satisfy bloodthirst. This much I gathered myself. But what’s the other reason? It’s intimate in nature, judging by your reactions. Sexual, maybe.”

Eren and Petra exchanged confused glances before returning their attention to Erwin.

“It is, sometimes.” Petra began, having recovered from the shock first. “When it’s between lovers, it could be sexual. Like a very heated kiss, I’ve heard.” She glanced towards Eren and the boy nodded in confirmation. “But biting is also used in training newly turned vampires. It could be sexual then, but it may not, depending on the case. And it’s usually on the wrist. You’ll learn more about it in Stage 1. You’ll have to choose a mentor, based on compatibility. You’ll practice biting on them.” She paused, hesitantly, before continuing. “Levi didn’t turn you, did he?”

Erwin tried to imagine Levi lurking in a dirty alley, stalking his prey, and changing their life forever, with no regards for their feelings on the matter. And he couldn’t. Not anymore. He had briefly considered Levi to be a serial killer or some cultist. But now he definitely couldn’t imagine him as his attacker. 

“No, he didn’t.” he answered simply.

They asked him why he had bitten Levi and where. He told them the story. They were both repulsed by it, but while Petra struggled with how easily Levi had excused the assault as an extreme bloodthirst and lack of knowledge and control, Eren seemed to accept that more easily. 

“I heard it’s harder for turned vampires to learn to control their bloodthirst. But even born vampires, like me, could attack if we don’t learn to control it. And even then, I guess survival instincts kick in.” Eren said, disappointed by the conclusion and the truth it carried. 

Petra tried to protest but Eren cut her off. “You don’t know how the bloodthirst feels. That’s why it’s unacceptable for us not to complete Stage 1. There’s a reason why some call us monsters.”

Petra didn’t protest further. 

Then they asked Erwin how he was turned. His answer didn’t surprise them this time, though they were repulsed by that story as well. Now that they knew about his limited knowledge of their world, they began to elaborate more. Eren had already revealed that he was a vampire and Erwin soon found out that Petra was a samodiva – a creature with a great knowledge and love for the forest. It was Petra and her fellow Samodivas who were actually tending to the park. They were very protective of the wild animals that lived there. 

In appearance, samodivas looked remarkably like humans. Very beautiful humans, who all possessed a skill similar to a vampire’s Influence. But they could best utilize their skill with a dance and upon a person who was attracted to them. They all naturally excelled at dancing and deeply loved music. They had great love for water as well – rivers, lakes, ponds. Not so much for the sea though. Elemental magic came more easily to them than to many other species. They were also extremely protective of their clothes, as Eren had demonstrated by trying to take the jacket resting on the back of Petra’s chair. Petra had reacted so quickly that only Eren’s vampire speed had saved him from getting punched in the stomach. 

Petra and Eren also told Erwin about a couple of other celatus - the non-human species that humans considered myths and legends - which he might encounter in The Center – werewolves for starter. 

Werewolves, like vampires, could be turned. Most of the turnings were accidental. There were still many rogue werewolves at large and without a proper training, they were a great danger to others during Full Moon, similarly to how vampires were when bloodthirsty. A well-trained werewolf could transform into a wolf at any given time. And their sense of smell was extraordinary. Erwin couldn’t help thinking of Mike. For a moment he wished Mike was a werewolf, if only so he would have his best friend with him in this strange new world. But Mike’s reaction to Erwin the night he was turned made it very clear that he didn’t belong to and hadn’t heard of this world at all.

And then there were mages. Unlike other celatus, mages were a magically gifted individuals, and not specie on their own. They could be humans, vampires, it didn’t matter. Technically, many celatus were capable of small amounts of magic. It was often even part of their education. Some species were naturally more gifted than others. Humans were also capable of magic, but centuries of killing off their magic users, had let to a decline in the birth rate humans capable of magic.

But despite many being capable of magic, mages were those individuals who were particularly gifted. Their magical power often made itself known during their early childhood years. For celatus, that wasn’t much of a problem. They were already part of a community that knew and accepted magic. Human children with vast magical powers were more of a problem. But Petra and Eren assured Erwin that The Council had their ways to locate such children.

“The Council?” Erwin asked perplexed. But once the initial surprise had worn off, he already knew the answer. If there was a community as large as what The Center was suggesting, and if there were many like this one in other cities and in other countries, there surely was a structure to it all. A way of governing. 

“Yes. You’ll have a detailed presentation on that in Stage 1. Basically, it’s our version of a government. And ‘The High Council’ consists of representatives of all major species plus the High Mage, who in this case is the High Counselor himself –Uri Reiss, the vampire tsar.” 

“And the next tsar will most likely be my brother!” Eren supplied enthusiastically, pride and adoration for his brother clear in his tone. Erwin wondered whether Eren was royalty as well. The boy certainly didn’t act like one. 

“Yes.” Petra agreed. “It’ll most likely be Zeke Yeager-Reiss. Tsar Uri doesn’t have any children and I don’t think he ever will. The tall man with the black coat from earlier – that’s his lover.”

Ooh. Now Levi’s counter-jab from earlier made sense. Out of his league. Well, apparently not.

Erwin learned that Eren and Zeke were half-brothers and that the parent they shared wasn’t royalty, and neither was Eren. Petra had completed Erwin’s profile while he and Eren were talking.

After that, a man, who introduced himself as Moblit, came to the reception to take Erwin on a small tour of some of The Center’s facilities – the restrooms, the cafeteria, and the appointed room where Stage 1 lessons would take place in. Then, he led Erwin to The Labs where Erwin would be given sample blood from all the currently available vampires in the Mentor Program to choose from. 

Erwin was to choose the blood that was sweetest and most irresistible to him. That would determine his future mentor, upon whom Erwin would practice biting. And more importantly – learn restrain. Newly turned vampires could easily kill humans when feeding. But they rarely could harm a well-trained vampire. Thus, training biting and restrain on fellow vampires was extremely useful and essential. It was mostly what Stage 1 was about for vampires. 

And while it was true that vampire blood cannot satisfy bloodthirst, resisting the pleasure of it was a challenge in itself and a great pair of training wheels for new vampires. After all, satisfying the bloodthirst took relatively small amount of blood. But even when it was satisfied, vampires found it difficult to stop because of the sweetness of blood, not the blooodthirst itself. And certain vampire blood was even tastier to certain vampires than human blood was. It all came down to compatibility between the vampires.

Forming a bond with a mentor was equally important to a newly turned vampire. Turned vampires could easily become feral if they didn’t form a connection with another vampire at the beginning. Usually, in consentual turning, the newly turned vampire’s mentor would be the vampire who turned them in the first place, since the two would already have a strong connection, based on trust and affection. Forming a bond would come very naturally to them, and would have no side effects.

But since Erwin had been turned against his will – he’d have to choose a mentor. Moblit had warned him that the bond he’d form with his mentor may have a side effect for Erwin, to compensate for the lack of feelings there were for a complete stranger – making him feel strong attachment to his mentor. He may develop temporary romantic or even sexual feelings as well. But Moblit reassured him that all mentors were banned from making or receiving any advances from their charges and the process of approving vampires for the Mentor Program was very strict, so the chance of unwanted accidents was minimum. He also assured him that any temporary side effect feelings would dissipate in 4 months and that they were extremely rare in the first place. 

The whole bond thing was highly distressing to Erwin. Fabricated affection to a person Erwin had never met sounded absolutely horrendous. Even if it was unlikely to happen to him, he’d much rather avoid it for certain. But Moblit had made it very clear that refusal to participate in the program was not an option. Untrained newly turned vampires could not be left without a mentor – they posed a huge threat both to themselves and to others. And they were ‘dealt with’. 

And while Erwin was wondering what exactly happened to vampires who refused to cooperate, they arrived at The Labs. He had expected The Labs to be clean and tidy, supplied with cut-edge technology. Judging by what he’d seen of the building, it seemed like the logical conclusion. He was mostly correct. But very wrong about the tidy part. 

Barely through the doors and Erwin’s personal space was crowded by a woman in a white coat. Her red hair was a bit of a mess. Curious eyes bore into Erwin through her glasses. She struck her hand forward and smiled.

“Hi, I’m Hange. And you’re Erwin.” 

“Um, yes.” Erwin said somewhat awkwardly. He wasn’t used to being introduced to himself. But Hange didn’t seem to care about his awkward reply.

“Petra sent me your profile. I see that Levi brought you in. And that you bit Levi. That’s surprising. I also have a theory about something. Let’s see if I’m right!” she busied herself at a nearby cabinet.

Moblit gestured towards a high chair on one side of a long tabletop. “Have a seat.”

Erwin did. The looming choice that he had to make weighted heavily on him. A knot had formed in the pit of his stomach and he found his throat dry. His anxiety heightened when Hange approached him and place a dozen vials in front of him. 

“Bottoms up!”

Erwin reached for the first one and saw his hand trembling a little. He squeezed it into a fist for a moment and then took the first vial and emptied it in his mouth. It didn’t taste bad exactly. But it didn’t taste even remotely good either. It was just so… bland. 

The second one was only marginally better. The third one managed to be worse. Upon reaching last one, and not liking even one of them, a horrible thought crossed his mind. What is none of the vials was to his liking? Then what? He wouldn’t be able to participate in the program and that was not an option, apparently. So how extreme were the vampires exactly? He didn’t want to find out right now, so he hoped that he’d find the blood in the last vial delicious. 

He didn’t. It was even worse than all the rest. He couldn’t even voice his dislike for the blood out loud. But he was sure it has shown on his face.

“Thought so.” Hange sounded amused. Erwin’s head turned towards her. She held another vial in her hand. “Try this one.”

The moment the blood filled his mouth, Erwin felt absolute ecstasy. He’d had orgasms that couldn’t hold a candle to it. Not by a long shot. Satisfying bloodthirst had felt incredible, but this was something else entirely. And he now knew why vampire blood was used for training. Attempting to stop drinking this would be equally hard as resisting the bloodthirst.

He pushed his tongue, as far as it could go into the vial in an attempt to get more. Even a drop more. Anything!

“You like it?” 

Hange’s voice came to Erwin from a faraway place. It took him a long moment to remember where he was. The haze started to recede from his vision and he could finally focus on her again. She had asked him a question. It took Erwin a long moment to process it. 

“Yeah.” It came out more as a moan than as a word and Erwin felt embarrassed by the intimate sound. He cleared his throat and tried again but his fangs got in the way. 

Hange chuckled at Erwin’s difficulties and Moblit elbowed her lightly. She collected herself and, with the most professional tone she could muster, told Erwin to ‘will them away’, ‘to think really hard about making them retreat’. It took Erwin several moments before he succeeded.

“So, just as I suspected, you liked the blood.” 

“Yes, it was…” Erwin paused, looking for a word other than ‘ecstatic’. “- delicious. I mean, it was better than the rest.”

“I bet.” Hange said simply, but Erwin noticed the glint of amusement in her eyes. “Which blood do you prefer, bloodthirst not being taken into consideration? Human blood or this one?” she pointed at the empty vial in Erwin’s hand. He didn’t realize he was still clutching the vial.

“This one.” The answer had flown out of Erwin’s mouth before he could even think about the answer. Human blood tasted great. It still felt wrong to think that, but it was the truth nonetheless. But this blood! It was almost addicting. The single most amazing thing he’s ever tasted in his life. He felt his fans making an appearance once again and his vision started to blur. 

“Would you like more?” 

“Yes.” Erwin breathed. He very much liked to have more. But then he realized that the vial wasn’t part of the selection. He was supposed to choose one from the selection. “Why was this vial separate?” 

Hange grinned at him. “Because the vamp this blood belonged to is not part of the program, but I had a feeling you’d like his blood the best. And I was right!”

“But why does it matter, if he’s not part of the program?” 

“Well, he is now.” Hange concluded with finality, though she didn’t deem it necessary to inform Erwin of exactly who that vampire was.


	6. The Center Part 3: Magitats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erwin gets his "pass badge".He gets something else as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean for this chapter to coincide with Valentine's Day but it happened and it's just a sign that Eruri is canon haha
> 
> Special thanks to [@tidal-sehnsucht](https://tidal-sehnsucht.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr for providing me with much needed info about tattoos! I'm very grateful for the help and I hope I did the info justice in this chapter! ♡
> 
> This is the tattoo, because my description is probably not good enough. Hopefully this is not a symbol for anything bad but y'all should let me know if it is, so I can think of another one.
> 
>   
>    
> 

Hange took a blood sample from Erwin and sent him on his way to receive his “pass badge”. Also a compulsory step. It was used to get access to The Center. Hange also mentioned that it shouldn’t take more than two hours. That came as a surprise to Erwin because the last time he had to get a pass badge, it took exactly 10 minutes.

Next, Hange said that it wouldn’t be very painful, and that raised all kinds of red flags in Erwin’s mind. Getting a badge in this community was clearly fundamentally different than having your photo taken and slapped on a plastic card. He remembered how Levi had opened the little gate earlier and that was a proof right there.

Moblit let him to another floor, down a long, wide, and well-lit corridor. It was the perfect time for Erwin to ask questions and he took the opportunity.

“So, that “pass badge” … what exactly is it?”

“It’s a magical key. This place is hidden from the outside world by a barrier that has a magical signature of its own. The “pass badge” contains a tiny part of that magical signature and when it’s embedded into your skin, you can enter as you please.”

“Into my skin?” Erwin asked. Moblit’s explanation was interesting but hardly the answer Erwin was looking for. It only raised more questions. As everything else in this place did.

“Yes, into your skin. It’s a… well, a magical tattoo really. It’s called a “magitat”.”

At Erwin’s raised eyebrow, Moblit laughed a bit. “I didn’t come up with the name. It looks just like an ordinary tattoo but its visibility can be turned off with a simple gesture and a word. It would be strange if lots of people who shouldn’t know each other have the exact same tattoo on the exact same place. Someone’s bound to notice and ask questions that can’t be answered.”

That came as a relief to Erwin. He could definitely appreciate a good tattoo on someone else but he’s never even considered getting one himself and the idea was still too new. But most of all - he didn’t appreciate the lack of choice on the matter. 

 

* * *

 

The room where Moblit dropped him off looked like a tattoo studio. There were 3 workstations in total – two free, one taken. Moblit had introduced him to a tall boy, slightly taller than Erwin, who was probably old enough to be a young adult but still carried traces of his teenagehood. His light brown hair had strawberry blond lights to it and was cut in an undercut, the front locks parted in similar fashion to Erwin’s. A double Helix piercing adorned one of the man’s ears. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and Erwin could see several tattoos – one medium sized round tattoo on each inner side of his forearms, and several big circles, varying in thickness, circling his forearms, from the wrist up to the elbow, fading in colour as they climbed up. They were at a different distance from each other but the same for each arm.

Moblit had said that the boy –no, the man’s - name was Jean. He was relatively new at his job, but Erwin was assured that the two identical magitats he was getting were very basic and even someone less experienced like Jean could make them with no problems whatsoever.

Erwin was led to one of the free black chair. Everything looked new and in pristine condition, just like it had been in The Labs. The budget this community had was amazing, as far as Erwin could tell. The chair reclined a bit and Erwin found the new position a little more comfortable, though it didn’t do wonders for his nerves.

“Roll up your sleeves and put each forearm on the corresponding arm rest, inner sides up.” Jean said and started to select the needed inks from the medium sized, covered with plastic wrap, table near the chair. Black and red inks were poured from little bottle into two separate caps, one for each colour.

Erwin rolled up his sleeves and put his arms as he was instructed on the armrests that were also covered with plastic wrap. Jean’s back was now turned to him as he was finishing his preparations. Erwin’s eyes wandered to the other workstation that was taken. A redhead female was working on the inner arm of a little girl with dark hair and lots of freckles on her nose and cheeks. Near them, on a standard chair, sat an equally young second girl. This one had blonde hair and big blue eyes. She was petting the first girl’s hair in a soothing way.

“Do you find it alarming? You wouldn’t be the first, you know.” Jean’s voice came from his right and when Erwin turned, he could see understanding in Jean’s eyes. “It’s a bit strange when you’re not used to it. Little children getting inked. I had a similar reaction. Getting used to being a celatus is hard enough, but you also have to get used to different customs and how things are done. But the magitats come in all sorts and are very useful. Relatively small as well. And the ones that are also available and crucial for little kids are always in places where it doesn’t hurt very much. Besides, going to the dentist could easily be more painful so…” Jean shrugged and sat down, a razor in his gloved hands.

Erwin pondered Jean’s words. It was true that it had alarmed him. But it was also true that he was now in a vastly different society. Judging without knowing all the facts would be ignorant. Jean had mentioned that the magitats for children are crucial for them at best, and useful at worse. They were not a decoration for parents to adorn their children with, without even asking whether their children wanted them or not. Then he remembered how many human parents had their baby girls’ ears pierced. And the piercing was neither useful, nor crucial for the child. It was a decoration that the child had no say in. Magitats on children suddenly didn’t look quite as alarming as they had been moments ago. It still looked unusual and Erwin would need some time to get used to that. But the girl’s enthusiastic face brought a tiny smile to Erwin’s’ face. He decided to focus on his own experience.

The shaving didn’t take long at all. The sparse thin blonde hairs were almost invisible against his fair skin to begin with, so the end result was not very impressive. Disinfecting the skin followed. On the clean and moisten skin, Jean applied the stencil, in the middle of each of the inner forearms. Erwin could finally see what magitats he was about to get. They were identical to the two medium-sized circle magitats he had seen on Jean earlier. Each a black circle with a red line running through it, three more red lines connecting the middle of the first line to the circle itself, running only on one side, much like a setting sun. Once Jean removed the two papers, Erwin could see the applied tattoo outlines on his skin. They looked so foreign and Erwin couldn’t decide whether they looked smaller or larger now that they were on his own arms.

Jean dipped the needle in the black ink and started outlining the first circle. Erwin watched with fascination as the needle pierced his skin for the first time and a dark dot bloomed. Then another, and another. It stung unpleasantly and he felt like flinching more than once. But it was overall less painful than he had expected. Jean wiped at the skin one final time and turned around. Erwin looked at the unfinished magitat with curiosity. It would take him some time to get used to it, but he didn’t feel resentful towards it, despite his lack of choice on the matter. He was a curious person at heart, and this was a curious development for him, despite the circumstances.

Jean turned back around and started inking the four lines in red. The two girls left soon after, both looking at the new magitats. They were grinning as they exited the studio, clearly pleased with the result.

Once Jean was done with the first forearm, the other followed. And as Hange had predicted, not even two hours have passed and Erwin had not one, but two tattoos now.

“Ok, all done! Now, to show you how to hide them.” Jean said and turned his left forearm to reveal his very own pass badge magitat. “You press a finger on the magitat and say “hide”.” The ink faded away in a span of a second, leaving clear skin behind it. Erwin wasn’t surprised that it had worked, not after witnessing a whole building appear out of thin air earlier. Jean continued. “And if you want it to show, press a finger against the skin where it should be and say “show”. If you don’t put your finger on the right place, all magitats that you have will flash briefly.”

“Sounds almost too simple.” Erwin commented.

“Yeah, well, little kids and newbies have to do it so it shouldn’t be too complicated. Besides, why make it difficult when it could be easy, right?”

“Seems reasonable.”

Jean put cream on both magitats and wrapped them in plastic wrap, instructing Erwin to keep the wrap in place for at least a few hours. And for the next one-to-two weeks to wash the magitats with neutral soap twice a day and avoid them coming into contact with any objects, in order to avoid infection. No baths or swimming while the magitats were healing. No sun exposure for at least a month.

“You can start applying cream or coconut oil after a few days. And once they’re healed, you should always put sunscreen on them. If they fade too much, they’ll stop working, on top of looking bad. Speaking of, don’t worry if they look like shit while healing – that’s normal. But if you think they’ve been infected, you should come to get them checked out.”

Erwin nodded. It seemed simple and straightforward enough. He still had a question, the answer to which he had thought he would’ve gotten while receiving the magitats, but hadn’t.

“Say, how are the magitats different from regular tattoos. I admit I don’t have experience with either, but where did the magic take place in this procedure?”

Jean seemed surprised. New celatus probably didn’t ask that often. Or the young man had spent even less time on that job that Erwin thought.

“Oh, yeah, the procedure is actually the same as that of getting a regular tattoo. The difference is in the design itself and in the inks. The inks are enchanted. We get them delivered from The Labs. No idea what they put in there but let me tell you – those inks, super durable. Top quality.” Jean said with a grin, pleased to work with great materials. Erwin wasn’t surprised at the top quality.

 

* * *

 

Moblit showed shortly after Erwin had rolled his sleeves down over the plastic wraps. The man looked a bit pale and nervous while informing Erwin that he was to be taken back to The Labs to meet his mentor.

Erwin had remembered the way to The Labs but he was still relieved that he had a guide. Even though his guide was growing increasingly nervous with every step. When they finally reached their destination, Erwin could distinctively hear yelling from the other side of the doors.

“FIND HIM ANOTHER MENTOR, FOUR-EYES!”

A muffled reply. More muffled conversation. A loud “NO!”. More muffled exchanges. Silence.

Erwin quickly put two and two together. He might’ve met Levi only three times, during one of which he had been barely conscious, but he recognized the yelling voice to be his. Levi was his mentor. Erwin was absolutely sure of it. He could feel the truth of the statement in his blood.

The door slammed open and Levi came out, radiating anger and frustration. The moment Erwin caught a glimpse of him, relief flooded him, despite the dangerous and wild look in Levi’s eyes. It felt a bit strange. Earlier, he hadn’t wanted Levi to leave him. He thought it had been simply because he knew Levi just a bit better than all those other strangers. But now that he thought about it, it may have been something else. Or maybe –

“Oi, baby vamp, it seems I’m stuck with you. Ready to leave this dump?” It was technically a question but Levi’s posture and dark mood made it sound more like a command than anything else.

Erwin stared at him. ‘Dump’ was definitely not a word he’d choose to describe The Center. It was so far removed from a dump, that it sounded absurd. But it had come out of Levi’s mouth and nobody seemed to be eager to correct him. A quick glance at Moblit assured Erwin that he had nothing else compulsory to do there anymore.

“Yes, I am.” He said.

Levi immediately started walking down the corridor. Erwin followed him. Once they were outside and out of the barrier, Levi turned sharply on the heel of his foot and stabbed Erwin in the chest with his forefinger.

“Listen up, babyvamp, too much time has passed since your turning. Time during which you didn’t have a mentor. So chances of you going feral have increased. Spending time with your mentor will lower those chances. Got that? I may not have wanted to be part of this program but I’m not gonna be responsible for anyone turning feral, especially since-” Levi shut his mouth in an instant. Erwin could see his jaw clenching for a few moments before relaxing.“Nevermind. Just don’t annoy the shit outta me, understood?”

Erwin nodded, despite being uncertain about some of the points Levi was making. But he seemed so wound up, that Erwin considered it best to let him exhaust himself and get everything off of his chest before asking questions.

“Usually,-” Levi continued, now a bit less aggressively. “- a mentor and a babyvamp would meet every day for feeding training. And would spend some extra hours together maybe a couple of times a week. Sadly, you ran away the first night like a scared kid, and then spent two fucking weeks starving, so you’re way behind your peers.” Levi looked uncomfortable, his face scrunching up. “So, I’m moving in with you. You better not live in a hovel.”

“What?!?” the question was out of Erwin’s mouth before he could even process it.

“I said you better not live in a hovel. Unclog your ears, babyvamp.”

“That’s obviously not what my question was about.” Erwin was a patient man but even he had limits and they’ve been tested one too many times. “I guess I don’t have a say in this either, just like with everything else, isn’t that right!?”

“That’s fucking right!” Levi snarled. “You can’t choose because you have no fucking clue what the consequences of your stupid choices could be!” his eyes flashed red and Erwin instinctively took a step back. A moment later, Levi’s eyes returned to their usual grey colour.

Erwin wanted to ask about the eyes. He really did. But there was a more important topic at hand.

“How about you explain it to me then? It would be a nice change if I get a single full answer today, instead of getting told I’ll learn more about it later. I’m getting sick of being treated like a child.”

Levi huffed and the frown between his thin dark brows didn’t leave, but he seemed to be considering Erwin’s request. He crossed his arms in front of his chest.

“You’re such a pain. Fine. You can’t make certain choices because if you choose wrong, you’d be a danger to yourself, and more importantly – to others. So no matter how shitty it feels, the rules are in place for a reason.” Levi emphasized the last word, slowly, as if speaking to a child. Erwin didn’t appreciate it.

“Yes, a reason - turning feral, right? What does that even mean?”

“You can’t tell by its name?” Levi’s sarcastic remark wasn’t appreciated neither.

“I try not to assume.” Erwin replied coldly.

Coldness was not only in his voice though. It had started to seep through his skin and into his blood. His limbs had started to feel heavy and his stomach tightened painfully. The more they bickered, the worse it got.

“Shit.” Levi cursed, his voice coming from farther away than it should.

Erwin realized that he’d closed his eyes. He felt a hand on his shoulder and another one on his face. Opening his eyes was a bit of a challenge, but he managed. He focused on Levi’s face the best he could. The other man looked concerned and Erwin felt warmth bloom in his chest at the sight. Levi’s hands left him and he sighed.

“You’re really a pain. It’s smart not to assume, I guess. Turning feral is… it’s when a celatus loses themselves and turns into a real monster. A feral beast, whose only goal is to kill and feed. There’s no turning back from that stage. A feral is killed off before they can hurt anyone else. There are always victims though. That’s why you don’t get to choose. And that’s why the absurd Mentor Program exists. It doesn’t exist to coddle new celatus. So it’s either living with me or having a huge chance of getting turned into a feral and killing many innocent people. What would your choice be if you had one?” there was a fire in Levi’s eyes, a challenge and a test for Erwin.

There was no doubt in Erwin’s mind as to what he would choose.

“When do you want to move in?” he asked.

Levi’s mouth curved up a fraction. “Good choice. We’ll go collect my stuff now. You didn’t say whether you lived in a hovel or not.”

Erwin laughed. After the intense conversation, he suddenly felt light.

“I don’t live in a hovel. I’d say my home is spacious and clean enough not to qualify as one.”

“We’ll see about that, babyvamp.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have y'all guessed who the two girls are? (probably yes lmao)
> 
> Also, does anyone have an idea who the woman from the Daycare poster from chapter 4 is? I forgot to ask then but I'm curios whether anyone had a guess about her.
> 
> And finally - will Levi find Erwin's home to be a hovel? :D 
> 
>  
> 
> I hope the chapter's comprehensive. I've thought about this AU so much that I began mixing up things that I've only thought about and what I've actually written so if there are stuff you think don't make sense but should, let me know!


	7. And they were roommates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally updated! <3 Hope y'all still interested in this story!   
> Enjoy!~

They didn’t waste much time at Levi’s place. Erwin was told to wait in the kitchen. He would’ve preferred not to be in there again so soon. It brought up conflicting feelings in him. But the alternative was the corridor, in which he had bit Levi. And although he felt disgusting about the assault, he felt even worse by the fact that just the hazy memory of it was way too enjoyable for his comfort. 

Levi’s belongings were put in a medium-sized four wheel black suitcase. It had a small sticker of a cup of tea, which looked a bit out of place. 

By the time they reached Erwin’s home, the sun had begun to set. Entering his home, Erwin wondered whether it would pass Levi’s “hovel” test. Levi’s own home was immaculately clean and while Erwin was neater than most people, he could remember with great accuracy the last time he had cleaned thoroughly. And unfortunately for him, that hadn’t been very recently. He could also remember that cup of coffee that had been sitting on his desk for the last two days. And all the dirty dishes on his kitchen counter. And the mess that was on the counter in the entry. 

Levi run a single finger on the little surface that was unoccupied and tsk-ed. Erwin followed him into the joined living room and kitchen and watched him inspect in great detail every single thing in the room. And then all other rooms. Erwin was glad Levi had decided not to snoop in the bedroom. The bathroom seemed to be the most displeasing to Levi. His lips had curved upwards the moment he had entered it. 

“Well… I guess it could be worse.” was Levi’s final verdict. Erwin wasn’t sure whether he’d expected it to be worse or better. Probably worse. Then again – Levi probably wasn’t voicing his honest opinion. Erwin thought Levi wasn’t used to holding his tongue, as he was incredibly bad at it, despite his efforts.

At least when Levi asked about his cleaning supplies, Erwin could point him to a cupboard which was well-stocked. That fact seemed to please Levi and he hummed in satisfaction. He lifted one of the bottles of cleaning supplies.

“A good brand. There may be hope for you yet.” 

And then he began cleaning. Erwin offered to help but Levi told him he’d only slow him down. Erwin felt uncomfortable that Levi was basically cleaning his mess while he wasn’t helping him, but he eventually gave up trying to help and sat at his desk, deciding to get some work done. He had plenty of essays to grade after all.

An hour passed surprisingly quickly. Erwin hadn’t noticed when Levi had stopped his cleaning spree. A cup was placed near Erwin’s left arm and Erwin looked at it in confusion. Levi was standing next to him, looking him expectantly. 

Erwin peered into the cup and he really shouldn’t have been surprised by the colour of its content. It was red. Blood. 

“Why is it in a cup?” he couldn’t help asking.

“Oh? You want it in a tall glass with a curvy straw?”

Erwin laughed at the ridiculous image. Levi’s lips curved upwards a little at Erwin’s reaction.

“No,” Erwin replied. “I mean, why isn’t in a thermos?”

“I just drew it. No point in dirtying a thermos. And you have to get used to the sight of.”

Erwin’s eyes widened a fraction at the realization that the blood was Levi’s. He zeroed-in on the cup of liquid ecstasy and licked his lips in anticipation. 

“It suits you.” Levi said. Erwin had trouble focusing on Levi instead of the cup.

“Whaf do?” he asked through his fangs. They had extended once again without him realizing it. 

“The red gaze.” Levi answered. At Erwin’s clueless reaction, he added. “Your eyes – they’re red. It’s called “the red gaze”. He crossed his arms and broke the eye contact between them. “Just drink the blood like a good baby vamp.”

Erwin didn’t need to be told twice. The pleasure Levi’s blood brought him was just as intense as it had been in The Labs. Except this time, there was a lot more of said blood. And much more moaning from Erwin. He ended with his finger inside the cup, scrapping leftover blood in his desperate need for more. It was a bit pathetic. 

When there was no more blood to be gotten from the cup, Erwin turned towards Levi, his eyes instantly locking on the throat. A napkin hit him in the face and the sudden impact broke Erwin’s trance-like episode and he regained some self-control. 

“Wipe your chin and change your shirt. You’ve got blood all over yourself.” Levi said, clearly not managing to hide all of his disgust at Erwin’s terribly messy feeding process. 

Erwin’s first instinct was to wipe the blood off of his face with his fingers and then lick it off. But Levi’s stern gaze made him rethink. He wiped his face with the napkin and Levi hummed in approval. He also demanded cleaning Erwin’s shirt. 

“Four-eyes wasn’t exaggerating your reaction to my blood.”

Erwin felt his cheeks grow warm at Levi’s comment. 

“I take it this is not the usual reaction.”

Levi seemed to consider how to word his reply. “Not for someone in your position. But it happens occasionally. It’ll just be more difficult to control yourself at the beginning. Once you stop feeding from a cup like a pig, you’ll start biting me on the wrist.”

Erwin had been motivated to learn to control himself already, what with his life being on the line. But the promise of feeding directly off of Levi had added a whole new level of motivation. Erwin felt his heart beat faster in excitement and his fangs poked the inside of his lower lip. 

Levi lifted an eyebrow at Erwin’s complete lack of self-control but didn’t comment on it. Erwin cleaned up at the kitchen sink and poured himself a glass of water. The remainer of Levi’s blood in his mouth was delicious but it made it hard for Erwin to think.

“Unlike your fellow baby vamps, you’ll need way more time with your mentor. Just spending the evenings together won’t do. It’s too much of a gamble and I’d rather avoid it. So I’ll be accompanying you to your work.” Levi said. 

Erwin almost dropped the glass of water. 

“You can’t just come with me to work. There’ll be questions I can’t answer.”

Levi rolled his eyes. 

“Relax, baby vamp. Nobody will see me, so - no questions. Problem solved.”

Erwin stared at him. Levi stared back. If eyes could say ‘duh’, Erwin could swear Levi’s eyes were telling him exactly that.

“And I suppose I don’t have a choice in the matter.”

“You do. But you already made it.” Levi told him.

Erwin sighed. He really had made that choice. But he still felt like he barely had a say in anything that was happening to him. He lifted the glass to his lips and took a huge gulp.

“We’ll also be sharing a bed.” Levi said in the flattest tone possible. And if Erwin hadn’t been busy spluttering water all over the counter and himself and choking on what he hasn’t spluttered already, he might’ve caught the tiny tone of amusement and satisfaction in Levi’s voice, born of a moment well picked.

“I’ll change the sheets first, naturally. And sleeping in the nude is not acceptable.” 

“I sleep in my underwear!” Erwin felt the need to make it known that he didn’t sleep in the nude.

“Not good enough. Pajama bottoms required.” Levi took a second to think and added. And pajama top as well.”

Before Erwin could protest, Levi had left for the bedroom, to change the sheets, presumably. Once the door clicked shut after Levi, Erwin run his hands down his face, took a deep breath, and sighed. Sharing a bed, and any activities taking place in one, with a person who was still basically a stranger, wasn’t something that Erwin did or enjoyed. It was just not his thing. But he felt drawn to Levi like a fly to honey. It was a feeling that had started dull, but was getting sharper and more powerful. It was difficult to explain it and although it felt completely new, it also felt strangely familiar. It was confusing and Erwin felt powerless against it. He craved Levi’s closeness, in whatever way he could get it.


End file.
